Thursday, June 10, 2010
enlighten me!
To begin, I must state that I come from a very open family and an independent upbringing. I come from the school of thought based on the pursuit of knowledge as a great virtue in life. In my opinion, the accumulation of knowledge induces individual thought which often brings upon an enlightenment of sort. The “Age of Enlightenment” (as it occurred in the 18th century; often referred to simply as “the Enlightenment”) is something that really sparks my interest because of its direct relation to my life. I feel very strongly about this period because it not only represents an exceptional breakthrough in the way of thinking possessed by mankind but because many of its values and ideals transcend time. The enlightenment stands as one of the most important modern intellectual revolutions. It brought about change that has affected the political, religious and social landscape of the entire world. The enlightenment came about during a time of censorship and intellectual repression. The principals of questioning and reasoning which flourished at the time enabled the “philosphes” to use this reasoning to directly address the problems they encountered in daily life. The progress in the development of education at this time paved the way for modern education. The enlightenment also brought upon a drastic change in the church’s relation to politics and social hierarchy. I feel that each and every one of us goes through our own personal enlightenment when we develop and mature from children to adults. During the enlightenment, questions of authority were raised. During our own developmental years, when we reach the capacity to understand such issues, we often direct our “enlightening” questions towards the division and dissemination of power in our own lives. Still in many countries outside our own, censorship is at extremely heightened proportions and thus certain enlightenments are continuously being by the either the oppressive ruling minority or the controlling majority. It is very important to never be complacent with mediocrity or oppression. Always question, always strive to make a difference and never be afraid to make an attempt to right the wrongs!
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With the iron-clad fist of professors, the university, and our current scholastic climate in general perpetually reaching into the student’s life and shaping the way he/she receives and assimilates knowledge, we often forget to take what we are learning and apply it in a broader sense, both personally and in terms of our world view. Let me clarify. Surely I am not the only one that feels bombarded by names, dates, and facts that are often beside the point. All of those things have their place in education to a certain extent, and I understand that, but we often forget that there is more to it. There may be names and dates and facts that go along with the Enlightenment. Indeed, it does have its historic place, but more than anything it is a set of ideals, and while the time period particular to it will always have special significance historically, these ideals are transferable over time and space; the principles of the Enlightenment--reasoning, questioning, striving for progress and human improvement--these are just as applicable right now in 21st century society and in the lives of individuals.
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ReplyDeleteI think you are exactly right to highlight the importance of Enlightenment thought, both then and now. The value of learning, both facts and how to use them to create your own interpretations and understandings of events, is something that too often seems to get lost in the shuffle for grades, test scores and 'covering the material.' Even in one's day-to-day life, thinking, knowing and questioning serve important functions and allow us to preserve our individuality.
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